Stencil apparatus.



J. F. COLE.

STENCIL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1911.

1,000,496, Patented Aug. 15, 19 11.

9 H I W l ll Lilllilll/ zasseJ jzflerzzar' ATENT orrion.

JAMES F. COLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs F. Conn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Stencil Apparatus, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and'use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object to produce a stencil outfit in which any desired number of stencils may be housed in convenient form and from which any desired stencil may readily be selected, withdrawn and placed in operative position on a surface to be stenciled, without possibility of loss or mislaying of the stencils or of disarrangement of their normal order in the outfit.

A further object of my invention is to produce a stencil which will prevent the stenciling brush from running over the edges of the stencil and marring the surface on which the stenciling is being done.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which is a perspective view of a preferred form of my apparatus showing one of the stencils withdrawn and in position for use.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents a cabinet or case which may conveniently be made of a back 2, side pieces 3 and a bottom or base 4, the cabinet or case being consequently open at the top and at the front. The case is divided into a series of narrow compartments formed by partition walls 5 suitably secured in place so as to lie parallel with the side walls of the case. Each compartment is made wide enoughto receive a stencil set on edge, and the length of the case and the number of compartments depends upon the number of stencils which it is desired to have in the outfit. At the top of and along the back of the case is a panel 6 which is provided with a series of indicating characters 7 corresponding in number with the number of stencil-receiving compartments; each of the indicating characters STENCIL APPARATUS. i i

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented A 0, 15, 1 911,

Application fiIed May 15, 1911.

Serial NO. 627,165.

identifying the particular stencil housed in the corresponding compartment.

In accordance with one feature of my invention I make each of the stencils in the form of a fiat shallow tray in the bottom,- 8, of which is cut the letter, figure or design 9. The stencils are adapted to be. used with the bottom resting upon the surface to be stenciled, the protective wall 10 projecting upwardly and preventing the stenciling brush from running off at the sides and marring the surface which is being stenciled. The use of the protective wall not only prevents the brush from overrunning, but it also saves time in the stenciling operation because the operator is not required to watch where the brush goes since it will always be stopped by the protective walls before it can overrun,

In accordance with the main object of my invention I so connect each stencil to the case that it may be moved into and out of its compartment and be placed in a stenciling position without being wholly separated or disconnected from the case; thereby pre venting the stencils from becoming lost or mislaid or from being placed in the wrong compartments. This may conveniently be accomplished by connecting each stencil near one corner thereof with the casenea'r the outer and lower corner of the corresponding compartment by means of a universal joint which will permit the stencil to be swung in a vertical plane to remove it from and place it into its compartment and to be swung into a horizontal plane when out of the compartment. The jointed connections between the stencils and the case may take various forms, that which I have illustrated permitting the stencils to drop into the horizontal plane of the underside of the case and therefore rest upon the same flat surface as that which is supporting the case. The jointed connection illustrated comprises a rod or bar 11 which extends through two .opposed protective walls of the stencil adjacent to one of the other walls and is revoluble in the walls through which it passes so as to serve as a journal upon which the stencil may rotate. The rod is prefer ably bent, as indicated at 12 and 13, adjacent to the ends of the stencil, thereby preventing axial displacement of the rod. The bent portion or arm 13 is provided with a lateral extension 14L adapted to be pivoted to the case so as to permit the rod to swing about a horizontal axis. The bent portion 13 of the rod also serves the purpose of bringing the two pivotal axes of the stencil in two separated parallel planes, permitting the stencil, when withdrawn from the case, to lie in the plane of the under surface of the case. The rods of the entire series of stencils may be secured to the case by a single shaft or bar 15 which extends from one side wall of the casing to the other, near the front and the bottom of the casing, and passes through bearing sleeves 16 on the free ends of the extensions 14. The bent portions or arms 12may also be provided with extensions 17 which serve as finger pieces adapted to be grasped for the purpose of withdrawing the stencils from the case.

When the stencils are not in use they are all housed within the case. Whenever any particular stencil is required, it is located by the index at the back of the case, the finger piece is grasped and the stencil swung outwardly until clear of the casing, and then the stencil is turned until it lies fiat in the position occupied by the stencil F in the drawing. The figure, letter or design may then be stenciled and the stencil swung back into its compartment. If a second character is to be placed beside the first, the entire case may be shifted so as to bring the second stencil in proper relation to the character already stenciled. The characters in the stencils may all be cut in a predetermined position relative to one of the sides and thus permit the side of the stencils to be used as a gage for properly locating one character adjacent to the next.

While I have illustrated and described only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the particular structural details thus illustrated and described, but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which fall within the terms employed in the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Inv combination, a stencil case having a series of narrow upright compartments open at one side of the case and adapted to receive a series of stencils set on edge, a series of stencils arranged in said compartments, and universal joints connecting said stencils to the case so as to permit the stencils to be swung out of the compartments in a vertical plane and then to be swung into a hori-,

zontal plane in position for use.

2. In combination, a stencil case having a base and an open side above the base, a stencil, and a universal joint between the stencil and the case near the base and adjacent to the open side, said joint being constructed and arranged to permit the stencil to be swung into the plane of the under face of the base after being swung out of the case.

3. In combination, a stencil case having an open side for the reception of a stencil, a stencil, and a member journaled respectively to the stencil and to the case adjacent to said open side with the axes of the journals at right angles to each other.

4. In combination, a stencil case having an open side for the reception of a stencil, a stencil, and a member ournaled respectively to the stencil and to the case adjacent to said open side with the axes of the journals at right angles to each other and lying in separated parallel planes.

5. In combination, a stencil case having an open side for the reception of a stencil, a stencil, and a member journaled respectively to the stencil and to the case adjacent to said open side with the axes of the journals at right angles to each other, the portion of said member j ournaled in the stencil extending throughout the length of the stencil and projecting therefrom to form a handle for withdrawing the stencil from the case.

6. In combination, a stencil case having an open side for the reception of a stencil, a

stencil in the form of a shallow tray, and a member journaled to the case near one end of said open side and in one of the sides of the stencil, the axes of the journals being at right angles to each other.

7. In combination, a stencil case having an open side for the reception of a stencil, a stencil in the form of a shallow tray, a rod extending across the stencil and journaled in opposed side walls near one edge thereof, and one end of the rod beinghinged to the casin near one end of said open side so as to swing about an axis at right angles to its own axis.

8. In combination, a stencil case having an open side for the reception of a stencil, a stencil in the form of a shallow tray, a rod extending across the stencil and journaled in opposed side walls near one edge thereof, and one end of the rod being hinged to the casing near one end of said open side so as to swing about an axis at rightangles to its own axis, said rod being bent adjacent to the walls of the stencil through which it passes to hold the rod in place and bring the pivotal axis of the stencil into different parallel planes.

9. In combination, a stencil case having a set on edge, a series of stencils arranged in said compartments, and a hinge member for each of said stencils journaled at one end in the case adjacent to the lower end of the open side of the corresponding compartment so as to be capable of swinging about a horizontal axis and journaled at its other end to the'stencil near one corner thereof so as to permit the stencil to swing thereon about an axis at right angles to the aforesaid axis.

11. In combination, a stencil case having a series of narrow upright compartments open at one side of the case and adapted to receiVe a series of stencils set on edge, a series of stenclls arranged 111 said compartments,

and universal joints connecting the lower outer corners of the stencils to the case so as to permit the stencils to be swung out of the compartments in a Vertical plane and then to be swung into a horizontal plane in position for use, and a series of indices on said case corresponding in number to the number of said compartments.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES F. COLE.

Witnesses:

WM. F. FREUDENREIGH, RUBY V. BRYDGES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

